The Haunting Truth

Florida’s grand hotels remember everything — the glamour, the ghosts, and the guests who never left. Join us this week as we explore the iconic hotels who whisper of history and luxury. Sources: Luxury St. Pete Beach Hotel in Florida | The Don CeSar   The Lost Love of Thomas Rowe - The Gabber Newspaper   The Iconic Biltmore Hotel - Miami - Coral Gables   The Miami murder of a New York mobster that...

Before dawn each February, thousands gather in the frozen darkness to hear the verdict of a groundhog said to be more than a century old. In this episode of  The Haunting Truth , we uncover the folklore, mystery, and strange enduring power behind Punxsutawney Phil—the immortal weather prophet of Pennsylvania. Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica – Groundhog Day History  – Origins of Groundhog Day, Eu...

She’s gorgeous. She’s toxic. And she’s been seducing humans for centuries. Join us as we step once more into the Poison Garden to meet Belladonna — the beautiful lady whose allure shaped medicine, magic, murder, and myth. From Renaissance beauty rituals to witchcraft ointments and true‑crime poisonings, this episode explores how one plant blurred the line between healing and harm. Sources:   Botan...

There are places that don’t just hold history…they hold echoes. Tonight’s story takes us to Glen Mills, PA where one of the oldest juvenile reform institutions in the US had echoes of discipline that sounded more like punishment. Source Notes: Glen Mills Schools - Wikipedia 'House Of Horrors': Former Glen Mills Schools Students Claim In New Lawsuits They WereSexually, Physically Abused By Staff -...

In 1921, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood — until a party at the St. Francis Hotel ended with the death of actress Virginia Rappe. Join us as we discuss the events behind the scandal and the ghosts it left behind. Sources: The Skinny on the Fatty Arbuckle Trial Fatty Arbuckle Scandal - FoundSF Spite Work: The Trials of Virginia Rappe andFatty Arbuckle | A reconside...

Nursery rhymes were never meant to be sweet. This episode uncovers the plague, execution, witchcraft, and supernatural fears hidden beneath the songs we learned as children. Once you hear the real stories, you’ll never sing them the same way again. If you love dark folklore, historical mysteries, and the eerie truth behind everyday traditions, join us for this week's episode of The Haunting Tr...

Journey with us again to New Orleans, during the time of Storyville and when a phantom killer with a taste for good music plagued the city... Sources: The Haunting Truth Podcast : Episodes 12 & 15, Mary Jane Bricktop and Zack and Addie AHS season 3 Coven David Hennessy: David Hennessy Murder Trial Documents - City Archives & Special CollectionsDigital Collections https://www.newspapers.com...

Join us as we explore a Philadelphia cave that looks like an innocent spring house but may just be the start of the first doomsday cult in America (related to Dracula according to Woo!) Sources: Historical Society of Pennsylvania / PhilaPlace – “Cave of Kelpius: Johannes Kelpius and the Society of the Woman in the Wilderness”    PhilaPlace Article    Christian History Institute – “The Wissahickon...

Join us for the next chilling Poison Garden episode, where we unravel the history of a silent killer that bridges Cold War espionage and modern pop culture. Source Notes: James Bond movies:    From Russia with Love, The Spy Who Loved Me, A View to a Kill, GoldenEye, and The World Is Not Enough  https://alchetron.com/Ricin   Breaking Bad (TV Series 2008–2013) - IMDb   Document Friday: The Poisonous...

Join us as we celebrate May the 4th in true Star Wars fashion, with a deep dive into myth and legend followed by an entertaining retelling of Darth's shenanigans in financing the Death Star. Source Notes  Star Wars (1977) – Created by George Lucas  https://www.starwars.com    Joseph Campbell –  The Hero with a Thousand Faces   https://www.jcf.org    Taoist Philosophy (Yin & Yang, Qi)  http...

Join us as we travel to the cliffs above the Gauley River, deep in the mountains of West Virginia, where one of the early battles of the American Civil War unfolded. A place where visitors today still claim the past has not fully left.  This is the story of the Battle of Carnifex Ferry… and the echoes some say still walk its hills. Source Notes  National Park Service – Carnifex Ferry Battlefield H...

Join us as we discuss the phenomenon known as "Reefer Madness"; the history and some of the kooky crimes related to that special plant. We may even touch on a bbq flavored ear... Parental warning- adult themes. Trigger warning for violence and self-harm. Sources · Harry J. Anslinger – Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-J-Anslinger · Reefer Madness – Library of Cong...

Today on  The Haunting Truth  we are traveling to a town that most maps no longer acknowledge, a place erased not by time or war, but by a fire that refuses to go out. This is the story of Centralia, and the unsettling legacy left behind when an entire community was slowly forced to disappear.  Sources and Reference Notes: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – Centralia Mine Fire ...

Join us today to discuss one of the most enduring sea legends ever told, one that has spawned a cultural phenomenon and has at its heart a kernel of truth...validated by a king and evidenced in the name of a sorceress. Sources & References: Boxer, C. R.  The Dutch Seaborne Empire, 1600–1800.  Hutchinson, 1965.  Bruijn, Jaap R.  Dutch-Asiatic Shipping in the 17th and 18th Centuries.  Rijks Gesc...

The Candyman legend didn’t start in a mirror — it started with real blood, real victims, and real cities.  In this episode of Haunting Truth, join us as we uncover the true origins of Candyman and trace how his crimes helped shape one of America’s most enduring urban legends.  *LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED* Sources: Dean Corll & Houston Mass Murders  Texas Monthly –  The Monster Next Door   htt...

Join us for the second in our Poison Garden mini-series. This episode focuses on the intersection of poison and punishment, a central moment in the history of philosophy that echoes throughout time.     Sources & Reference Material:   The Internet Classics Archive | Phaedo by Plato   (Classical account of Socrates’ final hours.)  Xenophon's The Apology eBook | PDF | Project Gutenberg | Apo...

Join us as we discuss the last person burned alive in Ireland -a case where folklore was not a metaphor but a justification for murder. This is the story of Bridget Cleary and the ancient terror of changelings that helped seal her fate.  Resources: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/bridget-cleary-the-last-woman-burned-to-death-in-ireland-1.3836933  Angela Bourke,  The Burning of Bridget...

Join us as we take our first stroll into the Poison Garden. This episode will focus on one specific plant, as well as a true crime case that helped shaped forensic science as we know it today. This series will cover a plethora of plants that find their home in the Poison Garden, as well as a case (or cases) related to that plant and how it influenced us to this day. Sources & Reference Materia...

There are places on this earth where people disappear… And places where history refuses to stay buried. Tonight, on The Haunting Truth, we journey into the Great Dismal Swamp — a place of true crime, survival, violence, and supernatural terror — where the line between history and haunting dissolves into fog. Listener discretion advised. This episode contains discussions of historical violence, mur...

Join us tonight as we discuss a case from Camden NJ that sits at the crossroads of true crime, literary myth, and the uncomfortable truth about how real girls disappear behind fictional ones.  This is the story of Sally Horner, the child whose kidnapping and captivity would echo through American culture long after her death… and whose name was nearly erased by the fame of the novel she never lived...

Join us as we discuss something we thought only happened in the past. But no- it is still happening today, as we can see in a recent case in Philadelphia. This episode discusses grave desecration, human remains, and disturbing historical practices involving the dead. This is for entertainment purposes only and since this is an ongoing investigation, the charges are alleged until conviction. Source...

February is a month of rituals- roses, chocolate and Hallmark cards. But this month we have another key date- Friday the 13th. And what happens when these dates collide? You find out love isn't safe, just like Tiana Notice did in 2009. Join us as we cover the origins of these key dates and Tiana's story. One that didn't have to happen like it did- if only the system had worked like it...

Today we trace Bacon’s Rebellion from its roots in Surry County to the fire that consumed Jamestown — and the ghosts it left behind. This episode graphic descriptions of historical violence, colonial warfare, executions, death, and themes of oppression and injustice. Some material may be disturbing or emotionally difficult for listeners. Sources: · Surry County Court Records (1650s–1670s), Library...

Journey with us as we step inside the building that never sleeps (and is rarely seen!) but is home to notable residents, both alive and dead, as well as legends that continue to resonate today. Sources & Reference Material:         The Address — Fiona Davis   The Dakota - US Ghost Adventures   The Cursed Dakota Building In NYC Has A Tragic And Macabre History   The Dakota - The Little House of...

Today we explore the legend that refuses to stay in the dark, especially at girls' sleepovers. All you had to do was take the dare and say the name three times- Bloody Mary. This episode contains discussion of violent crime, murder, psychological disturbance, and disturbing themes involving reflections and crime scenes. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Sources: · Dundes, Alan. Bloody M...